Mechanical Hive | Artist Community

Abstract

When dealing with a project related to the RMIT studio, one knows from the very beginning that the main concern will be the reintegration of a building and/or site on different levels: built (usually urban fabric) economic, social, etc. However, what is more challenging is to see whether you can take a step further from reintegration and see which would that be. The Mechanical Hive is designed as a model of transforming an industrial site from residual to generating, making thus a step further from just re-integration. By introducing a strong program, which reaches out to the social level, in terms of interaction, stimulation and involvement, the Hive intends to trigger a new identity for the whole neighborhood, acting on urban, architectural and social level. To support a flexible program, which promises a continuous diversity, I introduced a special type of architecture, mobile architecture. The Hive, physically expands in the proximity and the entire neighborhood by means of mobile ateliers, self sustainable units that populate and interact with the surroundings. The Hive becomes an unique entity, an open community of artists who live and work together, who share and accept the city and its people within;it promises diversity, social interaction, and very important openness to experiment.